Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole and developer Michael Surface, two longtime friends who exchanged more than $100,000 in trips and gifts, will be tried together for bribery in October, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner agreed with federal prosecutors that two more three-week trials would strain witnesses and resources, according to the order. Hittner's decision reversed an earlier ruling severing the two men's cases so Eversole could get a speedy trial last month. That jury deadlocked after a three-week trial on all four counts of corruption.

Surface, who asked to be tried later, is accused of bribing the Precinct 4 commissioner in exchange for influencing several multimillion dollar real estate contracts for the county.

Calls for comment from public integrity prosecutors based in Washington, D.C., were not returned Tuesday.

Observers, however, said the move benefits prosecutors.

"This is not good for Eversole," said Geoffrey Corn, a professor at South Texas College of Law. "Because it results in an accumulation of evidence. The more defendants you have sitting in a courtroom, the worse it always looks."

No surprise in decision

He noted that rejoining the cases is not surprising, and the original decision to separate is more unusual.

"Getting a severance motion granted is very, very difficult," Corn said. "I think the reason the judge did it the first time was the timing of the trials was so disparate."

Eversole wanted a quick trial after the December indictment alleging he took gifts including $17,000 in landscaping, $30,000 in antique firearms and $63,000 to pay off his mortgage.

Attorneys for Surface wanted more time to look at thousands of documents collected by investigators.

Eversole's lawyers said they would be ready for the retrial this autumn.

"I don't think it adversely hurts us at all," said attorney Rusty Hardin. "We had just hoped to be able to let the merits stand — one way or the other - on Jerry. Now we'll be doing it together."

Hardin argued during the March trial that prosecutors tried to convict his client using Surface's bank records and calendars, which he expects more of in the retrial.

"They spent a lot of time talking badly about Mike, but I didn't see any evidence that he did anything wrong," Hardin said. "But I wanted the jury in Jerry's case to focus on Jerry alone."

Ready for a long trial

Eversole was re-elected to his sixth four-year term in November and continues to attend meetings.

Chip Lewis, Surface's attorney, said he understood Eversole's desire to try to resolve the allegations quickly but is preparing for a long trial in October.

"We welcome the opportunity for a jury to actually hear the true nature of their 30-year friendship," Lewis said. "That true nature has nothing to do with bribery and everything to do with being best friends."

If convicted, Eversole could face a maximum punishment of 21 years in prison. Surface faces 15 years maximum.